3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Heath  \Heath\,  n.  [OE.  heth  waste  land,  the  plant  heath,  AS 
  h??;  akin  to  D.  &  G.  heide,  Icel.  hei?r  waste  land,  Dan. 
  hede,  Sw  hed,  Goth.  haipi  field,  L.  bucetum  a  cow  pasture; 
  cf  W.  coed  a  wood,  Skr.  ksh?tra  field.  [root]20.] 
  1.  (Bot.) 
  a  A  low  shrub  ({Erica,  or  Calluna,  vulgaris}),  with 
  minute  evergreen  leaves,  and  handsome  clusters  of  pink 
  flowers.  It  is  used  in  Great  Britain  for  brooms, 
  thatch,  beds  for  the  poor,  and  for  heating  ovens.  It 
  is  also  called  {heather},  and  {ling}. 
  b  Also  any  species  of  the  genus  {Erica},  of  which 
  several  are  European,  and  many  more  are  South  African, 
  some  of  great  beauty.  See  Illust.  of  {Heather}. 
 
  2.  A  place  overgrown  with  heath;  any  cheerless  tract  of 
  country  overgrown  with  shrubs  or  coarse  herbage. 
 
  Their  stately  growth,  though  bare,  Stands  on  the 
  blasted  heath.  --Milton 
 
  {Heath  cock}  (Zo["o]l.),  the  blackcock.  See  {Heath  grouse} 
  (below). 
 
  {Heath  grass}  (Bot.),  a  kind  of  perennial  grass,  of  the  genus 
  {Triodia}  ({T.  decumbens}),  growing  on  dry  heaths. 
 
  {Heath  grouse},  or  {Heath  game}  (Zo["o]l.),  a  European  grouse 
  ({Tetrao  tetrix}),  which  inhabits  heats;  --  called  also 
  {black  game},  {black  grouse},  {heath  poult},  {heath  fowl}, 
  {moor  fowl}.  The  male  is  called  {heath  cock},  and 
  {blackcock};  the  female,  {heath  hen},  and  {gray  hen}. 
 
  {Heath  hen}.  (Zo["o]l.)  See  {Heath  grouse}  (above). 
 
  {Heath  pea}  (bot.),  a  species  of  bitter  vetch  ({Lathyris 
  macrorhizus}),  the  tubers  of  which  are  eaten,  and  in 
  Scotland  are  used  to  flavor  whisky. 
 
  {Heath  throstle}  (Zo["o]l.),  a  European  thrush  which 
  frequents  heaths;  the  ring  ouzel. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Heather  \Heath"er\  (?;  277.  This  is  the  only  pronunciation  in 
  Scotland),  n.  [See  {Heath}.] 
  Heath.  [Scot.] 
 
  Gorse  and  grass  And  heather,  where  his  footsteps  pass, 
  The  brighter  seem.  --Longfellow. 
 
  {Heather  bell}  (Bot.),  one  of  the  pretty  subglobose  flowers 
  of  two  European  kinds  of  heather  ({Erica  Tetralix},  and 
  {E.  cinerea}). 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  heather 
  n  1:  common  Old  World  heath  represented  by  many  varieties;  low 
  evergreen  grown  widely  in  the  northern  hemisphere  [syn: 
  {ling},  {Scots  heather},  {broom},  {Calluna  vulgaris}] 
  2:  interwoven  yarns  of  mixed  colors  producing  muted  grayish 
  shades  with  flecks  of  color  [syn:  {heather  mixture}] 

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